Minor Ailment Scheme

It is designed to enable people with minor health conditions to access medicines and advice they would otherwise visit their doctor for.

[1] The Minor Ailment Service was introduced by NHS Scotland covering all pharmacies in 2006, but was available only to “people who meet certain age, health, and social criteria” - under-16s, under-19s in full-time education, over-60s, individuals on Jobseeker's Allowance and asylum seekers - about 60% of the Scottish population.

29% of consultations were for treatment of an allergy, 16% for skin conditions, 11% for gastrointestinal issues, 10% for infections, 8% for respiratory problems and 7% for musculoskeletal pain.

[4] In Northern Ireland, the scheme cost £6,366,089 for medicines supplied, and £7,830,424 for fees paid to community pharmacies providing the service from 2013 to 2017.

The Derbyshire Joint Area Prescribing Committee announced in June 2018 that it was decommissioning its scheme, called Pharmacy First, on which they had spent £3 million in 2015/2016, much of it on over-the-counter medicines, which do not need a prescription, and which came within the scope of NHS England's blacklist.